When it comes to our children, we all strive to be the best parent we can be. We want the perfect house, a successful career, and to see our kids grow up to become self-sufficient and one day has a family of their own. These life goals do not stop once we divorce our spouse. Additionally, from a child’s point-of-view, the only thing they want is to know they are loved and supported by both parents, regardless of their feelings for each other. Based on this understanding, the first right of refusal is a clause found in many child custody arrangements.

What is the first right of refusal?

Whether it is for a 12-hour work shift or a night out with friends, not all parents have the ability to be with their children 24-hours a day, every single day. The First Right of Refusal (FROR) concept in California means that if one parent is unable to be with the child, the other parent is the first person contacted to watch the child. This right is afforded in the child custody agreement and is applicable to both planned and unplanned events. Parents utilizing this clause enjoy the benefits of:

Divorce mediation is an opportunity for you and your spouse to meet with a neutral third-party to assist in reaching an agreement with an issue regarding divorce arrangements. Mediation is an excellent opportunity as a divorce alternative with many unique benefits not available through traditional divorce litigation. However, in the complexity of the divorce environment, there are different methodologies to complete the same outcome (a divorce). Divorce mediation can originate through court mandated orders or through privately seeking legal counsel.

Private Mediation

Did you know that it is possible to divorce amicably? Rather than opting to go to court, which has the proclivity to become more like a battle ring, many couples now choose to seek other forms of divorce. One such option is divorce mediation. If requested on your fruition, this option avoids ever stepping foot into a courtroom, where, not only do you do not have any input on the outcome of the proceeding but the findings are available for everyone to search. Other benefits of privately seeking a mediator include:

According to CDC, an estimated 6.7 million couples have difficulty conceiving a child due to a wide variety of factors. After years of failed attempts, many turn to alternative solutions to complete their family. One avenue increasing in popularity is surrogacy. Through this method, a woman carries the child of another individual or couple until birth, then gives the child to the parents. A maternal bond develops naturally during the nine month gestation period which can create complications after delivery. Occasionally, the original arrangement no longer suits the surrogate mother and a custody dispute ensues.

Forms of Surrogacy

There are several different forms of surrogacy that a couple can choose, usually depending on the issue hindering their ability to conceive naturally. Two of these options stand out among the rest. The two most popularly utilized are:

Once a child opens its eyes into the world, the child immediately needs the love and protection of someone who cares. The mother is typically evident, but paternity needs to be established through stipulation and order or order of the court. There are many scenarios requiring paternity laws.

Presumed Parentage

If a marriage or a domestic partnership exists at the time of birth, parentage is presumed, meaning the husband is the biological father, and the mother is the biological mother. Unless proven otherwise by the court, paternity is presumed in the following circumstances:

California is one of the many no-fault divorce states, meaning that no grounds for divorce are required to exist other than one party believing the marriage is beyond repair. Fault states are no longer common and the ones that still require grounds for a divorce require the couple to prove that a spouse did something wrong. In these situations, the faulty party suffered during litigation, especially with property division and custody concerns. Which of the divorcing parties is to blame no longer plagues courts in no-fault divorce states.

How does the court divide the community property?

If fault does not exist, how does one side “win” a divorce litigation case? In states such as California, there is no clear “winner” or “loser”. Even if evidence of adultery or abandonment are brought to the attention of the court, legally this evidence is irrelevant to the case and is not typically considered in the division of community property. A judge determines what is “fair and equitable” by considering all of the debts and assets within the community property, the property attained during the tenure of the marriage. What community property assets and debts is the question. The community property and debts are equally divided between the parties.